A Special Legacy

April 28, 1985|Sunday Call-Chronicle

To the Editor:

After I read Sunday's article on the "Vietnam Legacy," my thoughts turned to what I call "the birth of my son." On April 30, 1975, he was one of the hundreds of war-orphaned children airlifted from Saigon and flown to freedom in the United States aboard an unauthorized cargo carrier. I celebrate the fact that when the rules must be broken, there are those strong-willed enough to break them. If not, he would be one of the thousands of children left behind to roam the streets of Saigon

The war in Vietnam destroyed a countless number of lives, and those who survived remain somewhat imprisoned, either physically or mentally. But in the midst of destruction, people come together. Through the coming together of many people, our son, whom I believe was born to be a part of us, is.

Trong Thien Vu was about 1 1/2 years old when we received him. He was eager to give and receive love and his adjustment to us was immediate, but his memories of the war hung over his small body like a shadow. Whenever he heard an airplane, he would fall flat on the ground and cover his head. After meals he would confiscate whatever food was left behind. Thunderstorms, lightening and fire filled him with terror - and I spent many a night rocking him until dawn. As time passed and he became more secure of the safety of his home, his fears were left behind - perhaps, buried somewhere in Vietnam.

But the war robbed him as it did many - of his biological family, his name, his birth date, his culture and, most of all, of his infancy. People I loved and shared a part of my life with went to Vietnam. Those who returned must carry with them forever sadnesses that we who remained here cannot imagine. How do we find justice in the unjust, sanity in the madness of war? Perhaps, by teaching our children well, for only when we realize that we are all a part of one another will man's inhumanities to mankind end. Through our compassion and caring and sharing, we will teach our children the same. They must be aware so they can question what they do not understand or accept as humane.

Perhaps, the legacy of Vietnam has taught each of us to question authority, to not look death and suffering in the face and ignore what we see. Hopefully the tears we still cry over Vietnam will be our reminder to never allow our sons and daughters to be touched by war as Vietnam touched each of us.